Chapter 251
Reed personally took the Holy Scythe Librilly from the display case and offered it to me.
Reed, who already possessed one demonic sword, was not judged as the ‘first contactor’ even when touching this weapon.
Naturally, I hesitated.
‘The Holy-Demonic Sword has been synthesized.’
A weapon that functions as a Holy Sword when held by one suitable to be its master, but transforms into a demonic sword if grasped by one lacking the qualification and conviction.
In the latter case, the demonic sword takes its first contactor as a host and unleashes indiscriminate slaughter.
It was said to be a weapon that inherited those characteristics completely. If I picked it up wrong, I too might end up like Illeon Odrek.
“It comes with a rather troublesome function.”
“Well, I thought it was a good function after using it myself, so I added it.”
I now understood why the Lily Cross Scythe before me had a sharp, grotesque appearance with a combination of black and red, rather than a soft appearance combining silver and white.
It must have been because it was handed to just anyone after completion, causing it to become a demonic sword.
I silently gazed at the Holy Scythe Librilly in Reed’s hand.
I don’t think I am an evil person. However, the ‘good person’ judgment criteria of the Holy-Demonic Sword are very strict.
Isn’t it clear from the fact that only someone like Tesillid Argent, who has lived bound by rules his entire life, could safely become the Holy Sword’s master?
So, it was uncertain whether I could meet such high standards.
If I lacked qualification and conviction…
“Are you not confident?”
“…Are you enjoying this?”
“You are one of my few enjoyments.”
I knew it was a provocation, but thanks to it, I made up my mind.
There were no other options anyway. I had to take that weapon.
I grabbed it.
Whoosh!
A fierce whirlwind erupted from my feet, creating an updraft. My swirling hair made my vision chaotic.
“Ugh.”
Thump!
An unknown shockwave pounded my heart. The impacts continued as I held my breath.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
[
I poured my Master-level Aura into the Holy Scythe Librilly as if injecting it. The shockwaves applied to my heart then subsided.
“As expected, your skill is certain. Oh, right, congratulations on becoming an Aura Master.”
“…Could you be quiet?”
Because I was concentrating.
“Alright.”
At that moment, malicious energy mixed with the gale that was swirling around my body. My vision was darkly blocked as if I were trapped in a black wall.
Unfamiliar presences whispered in my ear.
<Let’s follow Reed.>
<Why bother saving a world that torments and hates him? >
<Let’s find peace in body and mind by Reed’s side.>
“…”
Treacherous thoughts flooded my mind. I held the Holy Scythe Librilly tightly with both hands, enduring the wicked temptation.
Suddenly, an actual voice broke through.
“As I said earlier…”
A corner of the darkness that surrounded me crumbled. Reed had pierced through the barrier of black currents and approached me.
Taking advantage of my hands being tied, he drew closer to me. Closer than necessary.
“If you come to me, you will be a queen.”
The man’s breathtakingly beautiful face drew near.
But I couldn’t be swayed by his face and fall into corruption with him. Because if I became a flying cultist, the Voice-Spirit would be sad.
“I don’t need it.”
Hiss…!
The black currents subsided. The divine power emanating from my entire body covered the Holy Scythe Librilly.
Like rust falling off, the Holy Scythe Librilly shed its skin.
The Holy Scythe Librilly’s appearance transformed into a white and beautiful Lily Cross shape.
The blue gem, embedded like a heart at the intersection of the horizontal and vertical axes, was identical to the one in Tesillid’s Holy Sword’s hilt.
[‘Scales that Judge Souls’ sighs with relief.]
[‘Voice-Spirit that Constructs the World’ says they believed in you.]
Reed, who had stepped back by now, conveyed his genuine feelings.
“What a pity.”
Of course, Reed, as always, rarely showed strong emotion.
I suppressed a slight uneasy feeling and unsummoned the Holy Scythe Librilly.
It felt strange to now have a weapon that was like a part of my body.
Agnes said in a tone that suggested she wasn’t sure whether to congratulate me or not.
Given that Reed was the one who gifted it, it was understandable.
Reed turned his feet towards the exit and opened his mouth.
“Then now…”
“Then now I’ll go loot other useful items.”
“…”
“You want me to only take one thing when I’m in a treasure vault? That’s ridiculous.”
Reed chuckled.
“I can’t let you wander around alone. You’re an uncontrollable variable. Tell me what you’re looking for.”
“…A wire weapon.”
If I had my way, I wanted to say, ‘a chain strong enough to bind you,’ but I restrained myself and changed my words.
Since things had come to this, I decided to focus on practicality. I didn’t know if there would be anything better than the Spirit King’s Harp String I was currently using.
“This way.”
Guided by Reed, I arrived at a display area where coiled wires were exhibited like bracelets or necklaces.
He seemed to have no intention of close surveillance and stopped to the side.
Thanks to that, I could examine the display case a little distance from him.
Hmm, as expected.
I looked at nearly a hundred wire weapons, but nothing caught my eye.
<It seems nothing is as good as the Spirit King’s Harp String.>
“That’s a shame.”
<Yes, a shame… huh?>
“What’s wrong?”
<Bottom row, far right.>
The moment I fixed my gaze on the coordinates Agnes whispered, I almost uttered the same sound myself.
‘Huh?’
I barely managed to cover my mouth to avoid attracting Reed’s attention.
What caught my eye was a black wire discarded in a corner. It was definitely a weapon I had never seen before, yet it felt strangely familiar.
Its barbed wire-like form reminded me of something coiled around someone’s left forearm.
I intuitively realized.
‘That’s not a wire.’
Just then, the system bypassed the display case’s defense. With some static noise, the appraisal result appeared.
[
A sealing device that suppresses power. It acts more powerfully on evil beings and can be released by accumulating good deeds or undergoing discipline.]
My instinct told me.
I have to take this.
Without Reed knowing!
I only rolled my eyes to observe Reed. I saw his handsome profile, leaning casually against a pillar with his arms crossed and eyes closed.
Hoping he would continue pretending to be a statue for just a moment longer, I reached out my hand towards the black wire.
It might trigger a theft system, like when I picked up the Archbishop’s Rosary Ring.
I swapped the Black Serpents of Interdiction with a black pearl necklace that was rolling around in my inventory.
“…”
Everything was over in an instant.
‘Phew.’
It was my first time doing something like this, so I was very nervous. Relaxing, I put the ‘souvenir’ into my subspace inventory and turned around.
Now it was time to nonchalantly pretend nothing had happened.
“Reed.”
I approached him and called out his name from the 100th iteration.
The handsome man, betrayed by God and fallen, seemed to have fallen into a doze for a moment, showing no sign of opening his eyes.
“Reed.”
Only after calling him once more did he open his eyes and let me hear his voice.
“Yes, Aillet.”
“…”
I don’t know why his call hit me so deeply at that moment.
“I’ve looked around.”
“Anything you like?”
“Not really. Nothing compares to the gift you gave me.”
He smiled at my obvious flattery.
“Let’s go.”
We walked together again as if we were companions.
The labyrinth didn’t seem to be fully completed yet. As we got closer to our destination, unfinished parts of the stone walls became noticeable.
Golden sand flowed like a waterfall through rock crevices from cracks that looked like fissures.
Among them, there were some peculiar cracks. Instead of flowing sand, surreal vortices moved dizzyingly.
It was clearly a subspace crack that looked like it would suck you into a strange place.
I took note of it and glanced down at my right palm.
There was the waning blue crescent moon symbol, the mark of the contract I received from Inferinos.
After walking for about ten minutes, leaving the vault, we finally arrived at our destination.
At the end of the path was a colossal door, as if it belonged to a giant’s chamber.
If I hadn’t lifted my head high to fully confirm the door’s form, I might have thought it was just a wall.
Opening such a massive door was sufficient with a single gesture from Reed, who had the Chaos Evil God implanted in his body. The huge archway split open left and right.
Creak, creak, creak, creak!
A chilling aura poured out from the gradually widening gap.
The cold touch of specters seemed to grab my ankles and try to crawl up my body.
Reed led the way. I took a deep breath and stepped into the unknown space.
[
A landscape contrasting with the towering Tomb of Chaos Gods unfolded before my eyes.
It was a place where circular stairs, forming concentric circles, spiraled downwards in a funnel shape.
I didn’t feel any particularly suspicious energy.
Despite its name as an altar, it seemed no wicked ritual had taken place yet.
“Take your time looking around.”
“…”
His nonchalant words, his relaxed demeanor.
What did Reed want to show me?
My gaze reached the very bottom and center of the stairs. There was a hole that looked like a well.
Since that well was the only notable thing in this Chaos Altar, my feet slowly descended the stairs.
As I got closer, I realized the well’s water was impossibly dark.
Staring at it and approaching it, I felt a chilling sensation, as if the well was pulling me in, rather than me walking towards it.
I stepped down the last stair. It was when I was only five steps away from the well.
[‘Voice-Spirit that Constructs the World’ watches ■■■ with a stern expression.]
[‘Scales that Judge Souls’ watches ■■■ with sharp eyes, wary.]
[‘Architect of the Skyscraper of Trials’ marvels at the structure design of ■■ ■■.]
[‘Heavens’ Secret Overseer’ is shocked, asking if you intend to deviate from the original work to the point of transcending it.]
Privilege for the Possessor